Twisting Fate
by cloudlake
Summary: Dwalin finds a captive dwarf maiden. But there's more to her than meets the eye... (Rated T for opening battle, scenes of violence, and a bit of mush) Dwalin/OC - fluff
1. Chapter 1

After a fierce battle with orcs crossing the Lonely Mountain, the dwarf company searched through the grounds for survivors and to help the wounded.

That spring evening was when Dwalin found the dwarven maid crumpled and bruised in an orc's net. After taking her pulse, he breathes a sigh of relief. The beat is there, but feeble. He calls for help to carefully get her out of the net and to cut the bonds that held her hands and feet together. She is unconscious and her pale skin looks ghostly against her raven black hair. Dwalin carefully takes her up in his arms and carries her limp form to the infirmary.

...

Over night the healers are mystified as they try to mend this helpless mystery maiden. Nothing in the healing lore seems to be working. Her skin grows cool to the touch with a gray cast, and her heartbeat grows more faint as they are working.

Only once do they see improvement, that is when a healer with a gold and silver ring touches her. The ring is dissolved where it comes in contact with her skin. And that section regains color. They even consult the mages. No word of such a happening. In desperation, they agree to try putting small coins on her to see if they have the same effect as the ring.

Dwalin walks in as they are in the middle of doing this. The coins melt into her skin, leaving a dusting of gold and silver power behind. He wouldn't have believed it if he hadn't seen it with his own eyes.

Color starts to return to her face. She is gently lifted and turned over with the procedure repeated. The laying on of gold, melt, turn over, repeat. Three applications of this treatment bring her back to the living. She's not in her youth anymore, but she still has a striking beauty in her strong features.

Dwalin approaches with a confused questioning look in his eyes, "What sort of healing is this?"

The eldest of the healers doesn't take his eyes off his patient but responds that they aren't sure and explains the earlier incident with the ring.

Out of curiosity, Dwalin takes 2 gold coins out of his pocket and holds them up to ask permission so he can see this up close. The head healer shrugs, as if to say it can't hurt. So Dwalin carefully places them on her eyes. As they dissolve, some of the gold dust is wetted with tears and forms a trail in the gold dust on her face.

Her eyes flutter open and she startles.

"It's ok, lassie. Ye're safe now," Dwalin and the healers try to comfort her. But she's obviously frightened out of her wits and struggling to get free. She doesn't seem to comprehend where she is or what they are saying to her. Thankfully, her strength isn't fully recovered or the infirmary would be filled with absolute chaos.

Dwalin is holding her shoulders down as he mentions to the nearest healer to try holding up a coin. Her eyes dart to the coin and she seems to settle and focus on it. The healer's hand hovers over her skin with the coin and she stops fighting, but is still very tense Dwalin and the healers slowly let her loose as the coin dissolves. A stack of coins is laid beside her and the healers continue to place them on her as she warily watches them with hawkish golden eyes. Dwalin tries smiling at her, but she just covers her eyes with her arm. It brushes his hand and he feels the trembling, so he reaches up and squeezes her hand hoping to comfort her.

When the head healer asks Dwalin to bring food for her, he tries to leave but she won't let go of his hand. So, one of the lower healers goes instead.

The healers try to help her into a robe for modesty and comfort. She still refuses to let go of his hand. "Lassie, let me hold yer other hand, after they put it through a sleeve." His looks to the ceiling trying to avert his eyes as he trades hands and he mutters, "By my beard...did na think I'd be getting a lass dressed today..."

Smells of a hearty stew and bread announce the return of the healer turned errand boy. Dwalin asks, "Hungry?" But she looks at him blankly. The bowl and spoon are put in front of her on a small tray. But she doesn't touch it. Dwalin tries putting a spoon of the stew to her mouth. But she turns her head to avoid the spoon. Exasperated Dwalin says, "Fine. If ye will na eat it, I will," and eats the bite he'd offered her. Comprehension evidently kicks in because she snatches the bowl and spoon from him - letting go of his hand, gaurding the stew protectively and gobbles it down.

"Well, at least ye're eating...I guess I'll go git my own food."

Mid bite, she points to the bowl of stew and says, "thood?"

Dwalin looks quizzically at her but repeats, "Yes...food." An idea pops in his head and he continues in Khuzdul, "Do ye understand what I'm saying?" Her uncomprehending look speaks for her. Then he tries in the common tongue - no luck. He motions for a healer to come over and he explains that she doesn't understand them but seemed to pick up the one word. He also asks for some food to be brought up for him while he ponders this puzzle of a maiden.

Pointing to himself he slowly says, "Dwa-lin," and she readily but a little clumsily repeats it. He repeats the gesture and his name and she says it again.

Then he tries pointing to her, "Ye?" She looks confused and repeats, "Ye?" Dwalin shakes his head and tries the 'me Dwalin', 'you?' tactic, but it doesn't work. He screws up his face as he tries to think of a way to find her name, but draws a complete blank. "Very well, until ye are able to tell us yer name - we'll call ye "Raven GoldDust" He points to her and repeats, "Ra-ven". She points to him, "Dwa-lin," then to herself, "Ra-ven". He nods and smiles.

She points to things around them and he says their names - bowl, spoon, hand, tray, etc. This routine goes on until he's finished with his mid day meal. He requests teachers for her, so he can go about the rest of his day. She's not keen on the idea of him leaving, but he can't stay here all the time.

...

When he comes back to check on her in the evening she's been moved to quarters of her own. She's concentrating on trying to read a book in Khuzdul. Parchments are spread all over with words and drawings. Frustration is written on her face. When she hears his boots, she looks up with relief on her face and points to the book and says, "Dwalin, word please?"

"Zurmathor (forest)," he says.

This is a total non plus for her and her frown shows it. She points to the ink well and quill, "Draw, please."

So he dutifully tries to draw a forest.

"Many tree?" she questions.

"Yes, lass. Many trees. Ye understand that much already?" he looks at her with a mixture of perplexity and amazement.

"Raven learn."

"Ye're doing well. Amazingly well. I've never seen the like. How do you learn so fast?"

She shrugs and gives a small smile.

"I'm glad to see ye're doing so much better. I'll check on ye again in the morrow," he pats her hand and she snatches his hand before he can pull it away.

"Raven, lass, I need sleep," he pantomimes with his free hand and head."I'll be back."

Her lips purse and her eyes look hurt, but he is able to free his hand and he bids her good night.

...

Pounding on his door drags him from his slumber. "Dwalin, get up! She's hysterical and is shrieking your name! Help us calm her down.

Dwalin is already putting on his breeches and robe before the pounding stops. Warrior ways die hard. Before the pleading outside has ceased, Dwalin has the door open and the messenger steps out of the way.

...

Banshee wails emanate from her room and he can hear the shuffling as they try to soothe and contain her. When he opens the door her wild eyed struggle stops and she takes in ragged breaths.

"Raven, what is wrong, lass?" Dwalin pleads as he walks over to taker her hand and wipe the tears from her cheek, "Help us understand what's wrong."

"Closed. Trap. Black of blacks," the tears stream down her face.

"Ye felt trapped? Like we wouldn't let you go?" he gently quizzes. Her vehement nodding says volumes.

"Watch this..." he lets go of her hand and walks over to the door and closes and opens it. "Ye can open it too."

Her momentary panic when he closed it makes it crystal clear. She hoarsely whispers, "Open, please."

He returns to her side and she throws her arms around his waist and buries her head in his chest, "We can do that, lass. Now the black of blacks. Do ye mean the dark - no light?" She nods again into his robe and he can feel her shaking. He puts an arm around her. "Ok. Easy enough. Ye heard the lady - more lights in the room."

Once four more lanterns are lit, Dwalin sits down on the bed beside her and leans against the wall and she snuggles into his shoulder. "What did they do to ye?" he wonders out loud as he strokes her hair. When she's finally calm and has closed her eyes he speaks to the healers and dismisses all but one,"Alith, stay here with us - for her honor's sake."

The healer quickly drags in a cot and extra blankets to keep everyone warm. Dwalin pulls the hood of his robe up and pulls it over his eyes so he can sleep.

* * *

Author's Notes:

Songs

Stay by Jorane

Lift by Poets of the Fall

A Mhuirnin O by Clannad


	2. Chapter 2

The weeks pass and Raven GoldDust masters the Khuzdul language reading, writing and speaking, and is able to communicate clearly much to everyone's relief and astonishment.

She seems to have a need to be near gold, stronger even than a dwarven desire for the precious metal. She revels in the feel of it and on a few occasions she's caught just laying on a pile of it in her bed. The dwarves find it difficult to keep giving up gold for her and are starting to talk - suggesting she may have the dragon sickness.

Dwalin and the healers ask her about this unnatural need for gold. While she seems unconcerned to be talking about her need, she has a hard time finding words to describe it. The best she can come up with is, "It's soothing and cleansing." She puts both hands on Dwalin's cheeks and images of a healing balm and a good bath pop into his head. When she lets go, he shakes his head startled at the intrusion into his mind, "How did ye just do that?" She shrugs it off, "I just do...This is na normal?" He shakes his head "no" and she seems puzzled.

In compromise, she is taught how to mine for the metal for herself and it works well for everyone.

All seems to be going well into summer, save the nights. Much to Dwalin's chagrin, she can't sleep with out him. As fond as he is of her, this just isn't proper and it goes directly against the dwarven traditions regarding relationships. Nonetheless, the nightmares plague her if he's not at least in the same room. He and the healers have tried everything. She's unable to speak of the horrors she experienced, but she shares muddled images and sensations of darkness, knives, orcs, terrible pain, a large egg with the contents sacrificed, bonds, feeling like a primal creature, snippets of the dreadful Black Speech, and a very frightening man type being that doesn't seem to really be alive. Those with whom she shared, Dwalin included, can't wipe the bloodcurdling scenes from their minds.

...

By fall, Raven's confidence is growing and she seems to be fitting in fairly well, despite her dependence on gold. She starts to ask about occupations and how she can be of benefit in Erebor. She explores options for her future by visiting shops, craftsmen, musicians, miners, and sages. Nothing seems to click for her though.

One day in her wanderings she spies Dwalin in the training hall practicing with his twin axes and training the next generation. She's tried hard to let him have a distance from her, since the time she sensed resentment of her domineering his time. He's been more patient now that he has freedom again.

Despite not wanting to tread on his privacy, she can't help but watch him. This warrior side of him seems to be such a stark contrast to the gentle side she knows. The tomes of history she's read though, tell of the need for this side of him and every other dwarf here. There is much to protect - honor, gold, a dwindling people, hallowed halls that have taken ages to complete, and so much more. As he mock battles multiple enemies, she realizes what her place should be to compliment his talents.

Dwalin sees her out of the corner of his eye, leaning on the door way watching him. He puts a little extra effort into quickly taking out his pupils, to push their skills and to end the match. The young ones are improving, it takes a few extra swings for him to defeat them this time. He dismisses his students, then grabs a towel to wipe down his bare head and face as he walks over to her.

She turns to leave not wanting to be a bother, but he gently grabs her arm - loose enough that she can leave if she really wants. "Rav, ye do na have to go," he confesses using his pet name for her, "I've appreciated the space, but I've also missed seeing ye during the day." She brightens and doesn't pull from his grip, so he continues, "So what brought ye, here?"

"I've learned what I can do to be of best use here," she baits his curiosity and looks very proud of herself.

He puts both hands on her arms and looks at her expectantly, caught in the trap as the proverbial cat, "Do tell."

"I will be a healer. I realized it while I watched ye," she says in all seriousness.

He laughs trying not to take affront to what she just said, "So, my fighting skills are lacking?"

Her face instantly changes to mortification, "No! In the history tomes - wars happen multiple times every generation. Yer path leads ye into danger. Despite yer superior skills, ye can na miss every blade..." She delicately traces the scar over his eye and nose, then several on his bare shoulders and arms.

He sighs, defeated by her honest evaluation and he stokes her cheek to calm her, "True enough dear lady. We do need healers and ye'll quickly become one of the very best."

"I will be useful to ye?" she questions, hoping for his approval.

"Aye," he reaches down to kiss her cheek, "and to others. Yer insight is spot on as always..."

...

Raven asks to apprentice with the healers the next day. She finds healing is quite a bit more difficult to learn, and perhaps more rewarding for the same reason. More of an art than memorization. Not everything she tries on herself works the same as it does with the other dwarves, and it deeply puzzles her.

Curious about her need for gold and silver compared to her comrades, she begins experimenting with the metals in medicines. She's the only one that seems to benefit much from the addition, save silver in a burn creme.

* * *

Author's Notes:

Songs

Stay by Jorane

Clansman by Saor Patrol


	3. Chapter 3

This evening as the early snows arrive, she's excited to share her latest discovery with him and she hikes up her skirt enough to scamper down the hall to Dwalin's chambers.

A deep but lively stringed tune emerges from the open door. When she steps into the room, she sees him sitting and playing his large viol - absorbed in the music as his bow moves precisely across the strings. Hearing her footsteps behind him, he becomes even more animated plucking, tapping and stomping a bit of a rhythm here and there through out the song.

She rests her chin on his shoulder and wraps her arms up around his shoulders. Not missing a beat, he kisses her for a few seconds as he plays - and it makes her giggle and hug him tighter.

When he finishes playing, he puts the viol aside. Pulling her around into his lap, he encloses her in his arms, nuzzling her, "I haven't felt like playing in so long..."

He kisses her fingers and notices several small bandages. In concern he prompts as he strokes the rest of her hand, "Break some glass?"

"It's related to what I discovered today!" she excitedly burbles. He looks skeptically at her as he returns one of her bandages to his lips. So she explains, "We've known I'm different because of my learning capability, my gold eyes, and my need for gold. Through an accident, I found today that a drop of my blood adds healing properties to the salves!"

"While that's great news for healers, I'm concerned about ye letting blood. Ye won't be doing this for every healing potion, will ye?" the protective, warning tone in his voice almost dampens her enthusiasm.

"Oh, no! When the cut happened, I was bringing salve out of an old jar for a patient's wound. The edge cut my fingers, but I did na see the blood before it was mixed into the salve and the patient's wound was almost healed before they left the infirmary. So we tried the same mixture from my hands on a fresh cut that one of the healers gave himself. It had the same effect. So we saved the drops that left my fingers before the cuts clotted," she finishes.

"It is indeed amazing. But I'm equally relieved you will na just be cutting into yourself for every little thing that people come to you for. The life is in the blood, ye need it too. Shall we have ye wash yer hands in gold, so ye can heal?" He pulls a small bowl of partially dissolved coins from his dresser and she removes her bandages and dips her hand in until the cuts are gone.

As she lifts her hand from the bowl, he gently inspects her fingers to ensure they are healed and kisses each one. He whispers, "Rav..." but is cut short mid thought as she startles and starts acting like she's straining to listen to something.

A wild almost scared look takes over her face, "He's here. Dwalin, he's here..."

"Love, who's here?" Dwalin asks utterly confused at her change in behavior.

"He's calling. He knows I'm here. We have to go now..." she animatedly babbles and practically drags Dwalin out the door.

Ahead of them in the hall he hears the shouting of words that make his heart sink and his innards twist, "Azug!" "Drake!" "Dragon!" and the roar of a crowd running toward them for safety.

"Raven, we have to go this way, not towards it!" Dwalin tries to pull her away as he grabs his axes, Grasper and Keeper. But she fights him fiercely.

"No! I have to go to him, or he'll come in after me!" she's clawing at him now, trying to get away and run toward what he sees as certaindestruction.

"Please, Dwalin! LET ME GO! He'll destroy the mountain to get to me! LET ME GO!" she shrieks and struggles and kicks as he tries to drag her away from danger.

He closes his eyes, not believing what he's about to say, "Then I'm coming with ye..."

As soon as her grip loosens, she's off like a shot. When he wields his weapons as he chases after her, the panicked crowd finally parts enough to let them have a path through.

Leaving the crowd behind, their steps pound the stairs up to the gate in unison.

As they near the top the guards try to stop them and they hear a deafening roar. She holds both hands to her head and whispers, "I'm coming..."

Dwalin sees that she's struggling as she slows and continues to hold her head. She looks up at him with desperation in her eyes, "Help me...help me get to him. I can na maintain this and run..."

He stows his weapons and and puts an arm around her for support, but protests, "I do na want to carry ye to a monster!"

"Dwalin, we have to! It will be like Smaug's invasion all over again if we do na!" she growls and he grudgingly starts to move forward with her.

They reach the ramparts and the archers, silhouetted against the moon, are poised with arrows drawn toward the sky, the others are nervously looking upward too with their weapons drawn. Raven screams, "Do na shoot! Do na fire on him! I'm what he's here for!"

They turn to her looking at her like she's crazy.

"DO NA SHOOT!" she shrieks.

The drake's shadow moves over them and all eyes turn up to the sky. The whoosh of his wings can be heard even though he's quite far above them, as the beast circles and comes into view flying lower and lower. The gleam of the moon on his silver scales and wings reflects brightly.

Coming toward the battlements, his giant wings fan out and flap to slow his approach and descent sending a whirlwind of snow and dirt into the air around the dwarves. Powerful hind legs and feet send a powerful thud as they touch the ground and the wings tuck in behind him.

The archers re-nock their arrows prepared to try to stop this monster from coming further.

Raven is again hoarsely commanding for the archers to not shoot, "He'll stay there if I go to him! DO NA SHOOT!"

The beast's head could easily reach to where the dwarves are in the fortress. But instead of coming up to them, he crouches and lays his head on his front paws sending snow flying around him. His dorsal spines flatten back behind his shimmering horns, while he waits and watches with piercing gold eyes.

Raven and Dwalin make their way down to the gate toward toward him. His breath while quiet to him, comes in gusts of cold blasts and the pair pushes forward through it and the snow that swirls around them.

Raven leads Dwalin, as he holds her tightly to his side, right up beside the side of the monster's head and a deep repetitive rumble emerges from the creature's throat. The giant slowly his lifts his head to look at her, as she hesitantly puts a hand on his metallic front paw. Her emotions change to confusion and her legs start to give out on her upon contact. The drake must be communicating with her.

"Steady me, Dwalin. Ofnir brings difficult news and his thoughts are overwhelming..."

Dwalin goes to one knee, offering her stability and wraps his arms protectively around her, "Are ye alright, Love?"

She nods and tears start to stream down her cheeks and she can only manage to breathe the words, "He knows most of the missing pieces and unlocked the memories that haunted me...

An egg from his mother's clutch was stolen by Sauron about the time I was kidnapped. Sauron intended to create a trap. A dwarf dragon born - that would have such an insatiable need for gold that I would be overpowered by the dragon blood inside me and I would convert to a full dragon wreaking disaster from inside Erebor. If the trap worked, then he would make more like me.

But once the innocent hatching's blood was melded to my frame by magic, he could na corrupt us. We became one being, wild and untamable by his methods. When ye and your kin found me, took me in, cared for and provided for me, and even loved me...the dragon side was subdued.

The rest of Ofnir's family died fighting Sauron. He came looking for me, after finding the body of his sister and knowing that I carry her spirit inside of me. I AM his only remaining family. I am Ðalindi."

The mental link seems to be easier to tolerate after a short while, and she's able to stand again and she hugs Ofnir's arm.

Ofnir moves his other paw around to hold her and Dwalin. Dwalin feels an imposing and overpowering voice in his head and the force drives him to his knees, "You were about to ask something important of her before my arrival, were you not? I apologize that my timing was poor. Oh, the irony that I will be kin to a dimimutive dwarf in the line of Durin...", Ofnir gives an echoing pompous booming bass chortle that rumbles in Dwalin's head. Dwalin looks up furrowing his brow and his fists ball in consternation at the intrusion into his most private thoughts and at the thought of being looked down upon - even by this behemoth. But Ofnir seems to not care in the least that he's angered an insignificantly sized dwarf. The fact that he apologized at all to a being below him was quite enough.

Ofnir offers overly graciously to them both, "Before you both freeze for lack of warm clothing, let me return you to your dwelling." His taloned paw opens palm up. Raven willingly steps in, but Dwalin is not keen on the idea.

"Oh come now, you'll make quite the entrance this way" Ofnir fusses proudly wanting to show off.

"Dwarves do na want this kind of attention," Dwalin stoutly refuses.

"You are trusting her to me? How unexpected..." Ofnir pokes verbally and gives a mischievous look.

Dwalin grits his teeth and steps up, since the annoying drake put it that way.

Ofnir lifts them up over the ramparts. Everyone that could fit up there was there to watch and it takes a few moments clear the area for the dragon's paw.

"Now's your chance..." the dragon nudges Dwalin.

Dwalin's look could have shot daggers, "Do na meddle drake."

Of course, Raven's curiosity is peaked, "Meddle in what?"

"Something that's na his business..." Dwalin grumbles.

Ofnir shares his thoughts with the entire crowd, "But she's my kin. It IS my business. And I want to see her reaction."

Dwalin growls at him as he sees the crowd's reaction and then Raven's, too.

The dragon, in an incredibly impish mood, plucks a song from Dwalin's memory and mentally sings his own version of it to the crowd.

"Bring a crowd and gather round!  
But he says that I dare not hound!  
He does not like such public dates...  
That's what this son of Fundin hates!"

Several in the crowd have eyes that go wide in surprise and cover their mouths to hide their laughter and astonishment - both out of respect for Dwalin and in disbelief that a drake would actually have a sense of humor. Others just blink trying to understand what's happening.

It just sends Raven into the giggles. The mirth in Raven's eyes, as she covers her mouth with both hands and tries to hold in her laugh knowing that her Dwalin is such a private soul, completely melts poor Dwalin.

To urk Ofnir, Dwalin takes her hands in his and chooses to whisper into Raven's ear so that only she can hear. Her arms fly around his neck and she laughs, "Yes!" as she hugs him.

Looking over to the silver dragon, Dwalin glowers and retorts as he waves his hand dismissively, "Bothersome twit, ye've had yer show...Off with ye."

Ofnir's deep chuckle rumbles into the deep caverns as he leaps to take off and he says to Dwalin - but addresses the whole crowd, "I await my invitation..."

Dwalin covers Raven as best he can in the snowy turbulence and not bothering to respond.

...

Prologue:

Ofnir does attend the wedding - standing outside with his ear to the battlements. But he causes such a commotion among the guests, that Dwalin is informed by Thorin and the rest of his kin not to invite the dragon again. Dwalin gets in a huff about it because he didn't even invite the blasted drake.

Dwalin and Raven soon move back to the Blue Mountains, to a people that need a ruler again. But also where there's more room for large annoying visitors.

* * *

Author's notes:

Ofnir - norse dragon name - the winding, twisting one  
Ðalindi (Ð is like "th" in "them)= A variant on several names that mean noble serpent (old english/saxon/germanic)

Songs:  
Berlin - Piano Guys - watch?v=VcnzqKpFZ0I (This is what I imagined Dwalin playing.)  
Pacific Rim (title song) and Canceling the Apocalypse - Pacific Rim soundtrack  
Blunt the Knives from the Hobbit Soundtrack  
Clansman by Saor Patrol

*** I'd love to know what you think of the story! ***


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